


Confessions, Curse Breaking, and Carrots

by inmycardigan



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Curse Breaking, First Kiss, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 20:07:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29495532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inmycardigan/pseuds/inmycardigan
Summary: Season 2 Episode 2 Canon Divergence fic| In which Merlin must break a curse Arthur is under through the oldest and most tried and true method- A lover's kiss
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 132





	Confessions, Curse Breaking, and Carrots

Merlin should have known something was wrong the second Arthur smiled. It wasn’t as if Arthur never smiled, or never was in high spirits. But this was too much. He was even nice. Arthur and nice didn’t go together unless there were dire circumstances that involved almost death or mortal peril. But of course, he didn’t mind. Cause Merlin liked it when Arthur was happy. It meant work was slightly more bearable. Less taunts, teasing and insults to his intelligence.

So, he didn’t question Arthur’s sudden desire to let the world know he loves Guinevere. Or even when that went tits up did he question his desire to shout out his love for Vivian. Sure, Merlin had their suspicions on the decision but he didn’t truly worry. That is until he realized it was a curse and now had a few hours before the entire peace of Camelot was doomed. Once he figured out Vivian was also cursed he found himself panicking and running as fast as his legs could carry him, storming into her chambers only to find Arthur and her sucking on their faces like they needed each other to breathe. To live. Desire so strong, so obvious in the way they were grabbing at each other. Almost like they were…like they were truly in...

No, Merlin couldn’t dwell on that. He began casting spells, praying it would work so he could get the hell out of there and never have to watch Arthur snog anybody ever again. But it didn’t work. Nothing did. No matter how many times he said the words, how hard he stressed each syllable and how badly he wanted them to stop. He felt powerless, in more ways than one. The kings and their men came in and Arthur took up Olaf’s challenge without a question. No doubt in his mind that he was in love with Vivian.

Merlin was now desperate. Everything he everything he cared about seemed to be doomed. : Gwen’s happiness, Camelot’s future and Arthur’s life. And as desperate times always seemed to call for desperate measures, he headed to the dragon.

***

The Dragon explained in amusement to the frustrated Merlin the dilemma that he faced.

“There is no magic that can break this enchantment.”

“There must be.,” Merlin shouted.

“It has too great a hold. “The Dragon replied.

“I cannot let Arthur die.”. Merlin felt himself shaking. The grip on his torch causing his knuckles to turn white. Too many times had he saved Arthurs life. He would not lose him to some two-bit apparently rude dim-witted lady.

The Dragon watched in amusement at the young warlock. He picked up on his unusual insistence to have this matter resolved. The Dragon smiled knowingly.  
“Patience, young warlock. The solution lies in a force greater than you or I can understand, a force that has puzzled many minds...”

“Please, I have very little time.” Merlin begged.

The Dragon smirked, “Why, it is the greatest force of all: love.”. Merlin felt his cheeks burn. Probably because the torch was so close to his face. Probably why his hands were clammy as well.

“You must find the person Arthur truly loves. One kiss from her, or him, will break the enchantment, and he will desire Vivian no more.” The Dragon chuckled, flying off over the shelves of the cave and perching somewhere unbeknownst to the warlock.

***

So, Merlin had raced off to find Guin. He told her Arthur loved her, that Arthur was enchanted, cursed, that he only had eyes on Guin. But not a word entered her ears and Merlin understood why. Heartbreak and rejection was bad enough but to face it twice? It was a pain so strong that Merlin didn’t force her any more than he had to. He knew hopeless when he saw it.

Once again Merlin found himself racing against time as he stumbled into Arthur’s tent, just as Gaius was leaving.

“Ah Merlin, just in time to wish me luck eh?” Arthur grinned.

“Oh, you are going to need it” Merlin sighed.

His brain was on hay-wire, sifting through every realm of knowledge he’d ever obtained or sleepily heard Gaius ramble about. Every story he ever heard, every offhand comment and conversation. Anything to save Arthur.

Finally, a solution popped up in his mind. He felt his throat suddenly grow dry and his heart pound.

He just said love, never specified what kind.

“Uh..Arthur?” Merlin coughed.

“Yes Merlin?”

“I am doing this for your own good so suck it up” Merlin mumbled before quickly stepping towards Arthur and grabbing the sides of his face.

Now, in hindsight this was a bad idea. What sane man reacts normally to someone storming right up towards you? But Merlin doesn’t realize it’s a bad idea until Arthur grabs his arm, twists it and shoves his back against the tent pole.

“What the bloody hell Merlin! What were you trying to…”?

But he doesn’t finish the sentence because Merlin’s lips are now on his. It’s awkward. Both of them stiff as boards, the kiss itself a mere peck. It was quick, short, and left Merlin shaking. He held his breathe as he stared back at Arthur’s clearly confused face.

“Arthur…” he began but it was Arthur who lost his balance and fell lightly onto Merlin, his hair brushing Merlin’s neck.

“Wh..What?” Arthur choked out.

“You love Vivian?” Merlin asked, grabbing Arthur’s shoulders and shaking him slightly.

“What! No! Why?” Arthur yelled.

“Doesn’t matter! Point is you are now in a tourney fighting for your life and the peace of Camelot rests in your hands. So just go out there and fight and don’t lose cause… well I just risked doing that for nothing” Merlin sighed, grabbing Arthur’s helmet and shoving it on his head and shoving him out of the tent.

“All you need to do is win a sword fight and you are good with a sword so yea good luck and don’t die” Merlin closed the tent up on Arthur’s confused face and sighed. He walked backwards slowly, finding the pole again and closing his eyes. He pressed his hands against his face and sunk to the ground.

“Merlin! What are you doing here? Did you break the spell?” Gaius asked.

“Yeah, yea I did.” Merlin replied.

“Well the why are you sulking! Go! Cheer with the others!”

“Uh I will pass. I am exhausted. I’m going to go home and take a nice long nap.” Merlin smiled sadly, patting Gaius’s shoulder and walking towards the castle. Away from the cheering crowds and away from Arthur.

****

Now, in the grand scheme of things, this was not a big issue. Merlin has had many feelings for many men and not acted on it. There had been Jacob and Killian, and even Lancelot long  
(the man had a lovely face). This was fine, he would just go about his merry day and not think about it.

He would not think about the fact that Arthur smelt like apples, firewood, and sweat. Or that it felt nice having Arthur’s body against his, or that he was sure Arthur had stared at his lips a little too long after they parted or tha…

“Merlin would you stop daydreaming and actually cut the carrots?” Guin yelled from the sink. Merlin jumped at the sound of this, thus knocking onto the floor all the peeled carrots he’d arranged into a nice pile.

“Bloody hell, I’m so sorry Guin” he yelped, getting on his knees to grab what could be salvaged of the veg.

“You’ve been quite dreamy eyed these past few days” Guin smirked, watching Merlin attentively as he regained his composure.

“Just tired I guess; Gaius has been sending me out and about a lot. “

That wasn’t technically a lie. Over the past week there have been quite a few attempts on the future king’s life and other doomsday quests to keep him busy and not thinking about the way’s Arthur’s lip or his stupid smile or the way his arms looked when they tightened around…

Jesus, he needed help.

“Is there someone special on your mind?” she grinned.

“Hah no, noooo, never what uh gave you that impression?” Merlin asked, coughing violently like he was cat with a furball.

“Oh, I don’t know: the daydreaming, gazing starry eyed into the distance, the blushing at random times. Looks like the symptoms of someone who’s caught the love bug.” Guinevere teased, smacking Merlin lightly with a dish rag.

“I always daydream according to Gaius” Merlin mumbled cutting the carrots with more vigor than truly necessary.

“So, who is it then? Are they brooding and mysterious? Dainty and kind? Or does a little bit of both depending on the weather?”

“You sound like troll on a bridge”

Guin was quiet for a minute and Merlin assumed she had let go of the subject.

“Or is he an intolerable prat who looks glorious under the sun?”

A few things happened at once that made Merlin react the way he did. First the shock of Guin’s question.Secondly the urgent knock on the door and thirdly the fact that Arthur was standing there at the door as If summoned by a spell.

“Guinevere Merlin is missing I can’t.. what the bloody hell are you doing here?!?!” Arthur asked, pure confusion and surprise scrunching up his face.

And this reader is precisely why Merlin cut three of his fingers. Not because he is a klutz like Gaius and Arthur and well…frankly everybody else calls him but because he was surprised. Guin gasped and started towards Merlin but Arthur put a hand on her shoulder.

“Go find Leon and tell him the search is off. I need to have a chat with my manservant” Arthur said in quiet anger. Guinevere looked between the two of them with what to the untrained eye might look as concern but Merlin knew perfectly well was pure mischief, gave Arthur a brief nod and ran out.

Arthur closed the door behind him and sighed. “Let’s find you a bandage.”

“I’m fine truly” Merlin began but Arthur simply raised a hand, pushed aside a few items off Guinevere’s healing station in the back and gestured to it. Merlin rolled his eyes and sat down. “I’m perfectly fine Arthur.” Merlin began again, quickly casting a spell behind his back to heal his fingers whilst Arthur searched the shelves for something to help.

“See! Good as new!” Merlin said again, showing his unscathed fingers to Arthur.

To this, Arthur turned, studied Merlin’s fingers in pure confusion. He then shook his head and sighed.

“Have you been hiding here for the past week?”

“I haven’t been hiding I was just busy!”

“You work for me!”

“I have other jobs! I pick herbs for Gaius and clean your bloody pig sty and the stables and occasionally help your girlfriend with cooking!”

“Guinevere is not my girlfriend!”

“Oh please you are always looking at her longingly, you can’t go a day without mentioning her…”

“Merlin”

“I’m not finished!! You always stare at her when I’m out with her and it is creepy! You look like you want to murder the poor thing! At the very least smile when I catch you cause she’s going to think you’re…”

And with that Arthur kissed him so harshly it sent Merlin back a little. The shelves rattled slightly with their herbs and spices but all Merlin could think about was Arthur. Arthur who tasted like cinnamon and spice. Arthur whose arms were on either side of Merlin and how his body leaned into his. Arthur whose clean hair tickled Merlin’s forehead and how his lips were rough and soft all at once. Arthur…

Who finally pulled back and held Merlin’s cheek. “ I was never looking at her you..clotpole.”

Merlinn would have laughed at how ridiculous the word sounded on Arthur’s lips but he has more pressing worries “Arthur,Uther will…”

“We’ll deal with what comes when it arrives. Just…no more running? Or hiding or secrets?”

Merlin’s palms burned at the sparks of magic leftover but he brushed it off.

“I promise” he whispered, pressing his forehead to Arthur’s.

“Good. Now…I really need you to come back to work because I’m going on another quest and my armor really needs a good shin-OW!” Arthur yelped as a tiny bottle of oil mysteriously fell off the shelf and onto his head. Merlin laughed, ruffling Arthur’s head and telling himself it would all be okay as long as they were together.


End file.
